Madeleine Cruise is an emerging artist who creates sensational objects and abstract images that explore emotional experience in contemporary life. Driven by a desire to make complex situations tangible, her work investigates such themes as sexuality, relationships and social status, within a personal and broader social context. In a creative process that explores material equivalents between painting and sculpture, Madeleine creates immersive sensual and tactile environments for contemplation.

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Glorious Descent

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Familien: Archives of Homework

Life's synchronicity never fails to intrigue me but then as many friends have told me this year, there is no such thing as coincidence.

I was sitting in my friend's kitchen this morning, inspecting the jar of marinated artichokes that I had just bought from the store. When it reminded me of the first time I ate a fresh artichoke and the ceremony that I remember whilst sharing it with my friend Claire. I retold the story to my friend Jon.

Following this I opened my email to find a letter from my friend Claire asking when I would return to Australia and a link to the interview about her latest exhibition. I listened to her voice and felt my heart drop - the quintessential aussie accent warming my heart. I listened to her talk about language and relative recognition - all things that I have not put words to but have encountered on my own journey this year. Jumping between places, in and out of homes, crossing paths and sharing stories. What I have missed is the conversation of art, putting words and marks, paint and ink to these experiences. I have missed my artist friends. Claire has never failed to welcome me into her world and with a sense of gratitude and relatedness I listened to her speak today and heard about Joeys and songs, working in the Australian bush and I was proud to have a connection with it too.

The nature of Language extends into my work too. Abstraction maintains its hold over me because of its potential to link many people - with their many interpretations. The other night I showed Jon the slide show from my recent exhibition and loved how he impulsively responded to each painting with each click. My favorite was his reaction to 'seduced' to which he responded murder scene. I guess seeing red does that to some people as does passion. Lost and Found was an exhibition made in response to personal encounters and responses to place. Locations as disparate as the Mexican desert and the Canadian Rockies and yet they were able to inhabit the time and space of the exhibition in Montreal. They were made active and took on different identities according to who saw them. I am intrigued by this translation process and the some what mystical ability of the humble paint on canvas to transcend time and place. Lost and Found took pieces and connected them and I envisage a web growing from their centre upon return to Australia.

The exhibiton Familien: Archives of Homework is showing at the Watch This Space Art Gallery in Alice Springs until the 27th of October.

The Gallery is open from Tuesday to Thursday between 11am-4pm, and on Saturdays from 12-4pm.

1 comment:

Hi Madeleine! I have mis-placed your email. Love viewing your blog and your work. Wondering where you are on this planet at the moment and hoping you are well. Andi (from Washington - met you in Nelson BC at Mtn Waters).

Artist Profile

Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Madeleine Cruise studied painting at the National Art School Sydney as a student of the Reg Row art Scholarship, graduating in 2009 with first class honours and the Fraser residency prize. Her continued studio practice has been supported through residencies with First Draft, The Bundanon Trust, The Banff Centre and Marrickville Garage. Madeleine has exhibited in solo and group shows in Australia and Canada and has been a finalist in the Waterhouse, Mosman and NSW Parliament en plein air art Prizes. In 2013 Madeleine co founded NANA contemporary art space in Newcastle, a not for profit art gallery that she directed for three years. Madeleine is part of public and private art collections in Australia and Canada including Artbank Australia.